Brian Barder's website

Entries in January, 2008

The Americans and us: nought for our or their comfort

Thursday, January 24th, 2008

Sadly the gulf between the political climates of the US and western Europe is growing; little hope of reform of the many shortcomings on both sides. But the EU offers a ray of hope for us Europeans [more >>>]

If it turns out to be John McCain…. (with 16 Jan. update)

Monday, January 14th, 2008

At present John McCain looks the likeliest candidate to beat both his Republican rivals for the nomination and the probable Democratic candidates for the Presidency. Some McCain myths unmasked [More >>>]

Christmas in Brussels

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

J and I spent five days over Christmas with son O and daughter V in Brussels, and were very pleasantly surprised.  I was last there with a large, predominantly Canadian military and civilian group in early 1978, and took away with me a rather negative impression of a city of ponderous architecture and even more [...]

More media horrors from 2007

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008

Literature is alright, still — Heading of Guardian column by Maya Jaggi, one of the judges of the 2007 Orange prize for Fiction, Guardian, 13 Dec 07.  But the booby prize no doubt goes to her sub-editor. ['"[A]ll right' is right; "alright" is not all right (but note the Who song, [...]